When snow is falling and a winter chill is keeping you indoors, a good book is the perfect companion for warm beverages, cozy company, and quiet time at the end of the year. We collected magical adventures, heartfelt tales, and just a bit of mystery to make December magical. Dive in with us!
Secrets, Spells, and Chocolate by Marisa Churchill
In this magical spin on the world of culinary drama, 14-year-old Sylvie Jones is balancing powerful spells with spellbinding recipes in an attempt to attend Brindille School of Culinary Arts and Magic and redeem her family name.
Sylvie’s best bet at achieving her dreams is winning the prestigious magical cooking competition, The Golden Whisk, but she’s going to need to be more than a good cook. Sylvie will need to win, uncover secrets to clear her mother’s name, and find allies in a cutthroat environment where spells are flying.
If you like: Fantasy, mystery, friendships, coming of age, cooking, baking, magical school
The Snowman Code by Simon Stephenson
You never know when you’re going to meet your new best friend.
For 10-and-a-half-year-old Blessing, her latest friendship forms when she meets 600-year-old snowman Albert Farmington. Until Blessing meets Albert, she is facing down bullies on her own and running from foster care. Luckily, her frosty new friend is bound by the Snowman Code to help children in need.
It turns out that Blessing can help Albert, too. The snowman is searching for Clementine, his long-lost love, and Blessing might be the perfect person to help him find her.
If you like: Magic, winter, unlikely friendships, coming-of-age
K-Jane by Lydia Kang
Korean American Jane Choi (named after Jane Eyre) is a typical Nebraskan teen. Her Midwest experience is great…until she realizes that everyone around her knows more about Korean culture than she does.
Trying to “catch up” with the crowd, Jane dives into a self-education on Korean food, music, beauty, and drama to reconnect with her Korean heritage, for herself and for her soon-to-be-born baby brother.
Getting into Korean culture is going well until Jane starts to document her experiences in the video app StoryThyme. Could a viral moment bring everything crashing down around her?
If you like: Contemporary, coming of age, realism
Angelica and the Bear Prince by Trung Le Nguyen
17-year-old Angelica is making a comeback after pulling away from all of her extracurriculars last year. Finding her love for old passions one step at a time leads her to an internship at a local theater.
Getting to work behind the scenes of a fairytale production is just what she needs, and the job comes with an unexpected perk—she gets to meet the theater mascot, Per the Bear. Jelly and Per have been DMing for the last year, and she wants to know who is behind the mascot costume.
Could the mascot turn out to be someone she can have a real relationship with, or was Per just being a kind local celebrity?
If you like: Realism, romance, theater, graphic novels
A Feast for the Eyes by Alex Crespo
There’s an all-seeing beast lurking on the Oregon coast. Stories about “The Watcher” have swirled around the town of Pine Grove for as long as anyone can remember. When a group of teens finds themselves caught up in the legend, the scary campfire story might just change all of their lives.
Shay and her girlfriend, Lauren, encounter the creature during a fight about their relationship, and when they escape, Lauren’s suspicious injuries ruin Shay’s reputation, and they feel like they’re being watched.
Teen photographer Zoe hasn’t seen the beast, but when Lauren asks for her help to capture evidence of The Watcher, she sees an opportunity. Snaps of a rare creature could be exactly what Zoe needs to boost her portfolio for college applications, so she sets out with Lauren and their friends Jack and Parker to track down the Watcher.
The teens will find that chasing legends has consequences, and finding The Watcher could mean the end of all of their secrets for better or worse.
If you like: Fantasy, mystery, horror, crytpids, small town stories
